This invention relates generally to a tool for use by law enforcement and emergency personnel for extracting persons and property from a vehicle when the breaking of windows, windshields, or the like is required.
The need may arise from time to time in law enforcement and with emergency rescue personnel to break open the glass of an automobile or truck that has been involved in an accident. When it becomes necessary to break the glass, it is desirable both to protect the occupants of the vehicle and the personnel breaking the glass. Therefore, it is important to provide a way to break the glass in as safe and controlled manner as possible. It is another important objective to be able to repeat this procedure in a reliable manner. Also important for use by such personnel in extracting persons from automobiles is a device for rapidly and safely cutting an automobile's safety belt, particularly if the safety belt latch is inoperable. A device is necessary which not only cuts the belt quickly, but which also minimizes risk to the seatbelt wearer from injury. Another desirable trait of a device for use by law enforcement personnel is a pry tool and a screw driver for removing vehicle tags from vehicles when it is required by law. A further useful device used by law enforcement personnel is a scribe tool which can be used to mark property with identifying characteristics.
Tools for use by emergency personnel have been patented, and include U.S. Pat. No. 5,097,599, issued to Hasegawa, which discloses an emergency escape tool having a spike extending outwardly from a housing. Compression springs work in conjunction with the spike. U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,926, issued to Roxton, discloses a rescue tool having a tool bit with a shaft. A spring engages the tool bit for contacting tool. U.S. Pat. No. 949,470, issued to Geissenhainer, et al., discloses an ice pick having a spring-loaded spindle carried within a handle. U.S. Pat. No. 1,424,221, issued to Trumpeter, also discloses an ice pick having a shank stem which acts in cooperation with springs to drive a pick point into ice.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,552, issued to Barnes, discloses a locking system for a knife blade which includes a spring mounted on the outside surface of a handle. The spring includes a foot that passes through a slot in the handle and through a notch in the tang of a blade to lock the blade in an open position. U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,624, issued to Ennis, discloses a locking system for a folding knife wherein a locking pin registers with an opening of a T-shaped toggle to lock the blade in an open position.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,439, issued to Boyd, Jr., discloses a locking system for a folding knife, which includes a square-lock block assembly acted upon by a spring.
While the foregoing designs are known, there still exists a need for a single tool which provides law enforcement and emergency medical personnel with a device for reliably breaking automotive glass and for cutting the seat belts of persons trapped in a vehicle. The need also exists for a tool having both the ability to unscrew and pry objects such as unauthorized license tags from vehicles and to etch identifying numbers or marks on property.